Few signs of heat in a mixed bill at New York City Ballet

Mira Nadon and Chun Wai Chan in Justin Peck's Heatscape

Emma Von Enck and the Company in Justin Peck's Heatscape

Mira Nadon in Ulysses Dove's Red Angels

Olivia Bell and the Company in Gianna Reisen's Signs

By Carla Escoda, 29 September 2025

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“they glided, undulated, twitched and preened for each other and stabbed one pointe into the ground”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 25 September 2025

Signs (Gianna Reisen)

Zakouski (Peter Martins)

Red Angels (Ulysses Dove)

Heatscape (Justin Peck)

New York City Ballet

Marc Happel, Costume Designer

Mark Stanley, Lighting Designer

New York City Ballet Orchestra

Roman Mejia, Dancer

Alexa Maxwell, Dancer

Mira Nadon, Dancer

Chun Wai Chan, Dancer

Taylor Stanley, Dancer

Jules Mabie, Dancer

Ashley Hod, Dancer

Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Dancer

Harrison Coll, Dancer

Mia Williams, Dancer

Victor Abreu, Dancer

Megan Fairchild, Dancer

Joseph Gordon, Dancer

Mary Rowell, Violin

Foreseeable Future is aimless movement to aimless music at NYCB

Ivy Lin, 9th October

Some excellent individual performances but a disappointing program for Contemporary Choreography I with New York City Ballet.

**111

An historic moment at New York City Ballet, long overdue

Carla Escoda, 12th October

What took so long, you may wonder, to get three female choreographers on a triple bill at New York City Ballet. This one yielded three keepers.

****1

NYCB's Contemporary Choreography marred by middle pieces

Ivy Lin, 14th May

Although Glass Pieces and Pictures at an Exhibition are on the surface very different ballets, they both draw us into their world. I wish NYCB had been able to find more compelling middle ballets.

***11

NYCB: Abraham's Love Letter (On Shuffle) is another huge hit

Ivy Lin, 13th May

Contemporary ballet often shies away from unabashed romance. Kyle Abraham instead leans into the love story.

****1

NYCB's eclectic program worth the three hours

Ivy Lin, 11th May

The ending of Stars and Stripesis a sure-fire applause machine. The lowering of the flag while all the regiments march and salute onstage is so corny that only Balanchine could have choreographed it with a straight face. And yet it worked in 1958 and it works in 2019.

*****

World Premieres at NYCB Deliver Much-Needed Jolt

Carla Escoda, 6th October

As City Ballet grapples with lawsuits and lurid accusations, and the loss of an unprecendented number of male principals, new works by Kyle Abraham, Gianna Reisen, and Matthew Neenan stoke inspired performances from the dancers.

****1

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Carla Escoda

Born in the Philippines, Carla trained as a ballet and modern dancer with the Alice Reyes Dance Company in Manila. She has lived and worked in Asia and the U.S. and has written about the arts for Bachtrack, KQED (the northern California public media broadcaster), Dance International, dance journal/hk, the Huffington Post, Dance Europe and ballettothepeople.